The immune system is most critical during this period! Famous doctor: Teenagers of both sexes should get HPV vaccine
HPV is not only linked to cervical cancer. The younger you are, the more effective the vaccine is.
Human papillomavirus─HPV is not only related to cervical cancer in women, but may also cause cancers or diseases including oropharyngeal cancer, head and neck cancer, anal cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, and cauliflower. Doctors warn that HPV viruses may spread in the environment and cause invisible infections. A clinic environmental test found that the HPV virus was detected in the afternoon in an area that was clean in the morning, indicating that the virus is difficult to completely eliminate in the environment. Early administration of the HPV vaccine is the most effective way to prevent infection.
Chairman Qiu Nanchang of the Taiwan Pediatric Infectious Diseases Medical Association pointed out that boys and girls vaccinated with HPV vaccine between the ages of 9 and 14 have more significant immune responses than girls vaccinated between the ages of 16 and 26. Parents should be more vigilant and take care of their children as early as possible. Go to the clinic to consult a doctor and get the HPV vaccine.
“Foreign studies have found that the risk of HPV infection is reduced more if the HPV vaccine is administered at the age of 11 than for those who are vaccinated at the age of 17. If only girls are vaccinated, the overall infection risk is reduced by about 40-50%, but if boys are also vaccinated, the risk of HPV infection can be reduced by about 40-50%. It is reduced by more than 90%. This shows that there are two key points in preventing HPV. One is to get the vaccine as early as possible, and the other is to get it for both boys and girls!”
Teenagers should receive HPV vaccine during critical period for immune system
Dr. Li Bingying from the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at National Taiwan University Hospital said that the human immune system is strongest between the ages of 10 and 15. Vaccination is for prevention rather than treatment. It must be administered before infection occurs to be most effective.
Surveys show that the proportion of people having sex after the age of 15 increases. Therefore, getting the HPV vaccine before the age of 15 can best prevent and reduce chronic HPV infection and reduce the chance of cervical cancer in the future. Dr. Li Bingying emphasized that from this perspective, teenagers are the most important age group to receive HPV vaccine.
The golden cross between oropharyngeal cancer and cervical cancer! Are men at higher risk for HPV?
Dr. Li Bingying pointed out that Japan stopped vaccinating HPV vaccines after 2003, and the vaccination rate dropped from 70% to about 1%, resulting in many teenagers losing their protection against the HPV virus. Surveillance data during this period show that precancerous lesions caused by HPV infection have increased again. Japan therefore resumed HPV vaccination last year.
Dr. Li Bingying said that the WHO hopes to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. In this race to eliminate HPV, it is expected that countries where both men and women use vaccination will be the fastest in the future and can protect the health of the most women.
In addition, the United States has also seen a “golden cross” in which the proportion of male oropharyngeal cancer exceeds that of female cervical cancer, which is not unrelated to potential HPV infection in the past. In recent years, oropharyngeal cancer has ranked among the top three most common cancers among men in Taiwan, indicating that men should be more vigilant in preventing HPV infection.
The HPV vaccine is most effective when administered to both men and women
Dr. Qiu Nanchang said that currently there are two types of HPV vaccines administered in Taiwan: 2-price and 9-price. Among them, the 2-valent vaccine is provided at public expense to primary school girls, and the 9-valent vaccine covers more than 90% of the genotypes of HPV infection in Taiwan. The incidence of cervical cancer has declined in recent years, but men and women should still be reminded to vaccinate together to achieve the best preventive effect.
Dr. Huang Yucheng from the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital pointed out that as of May 2020, a total of 107 countries around the world have included adolescent girls in publicly funded HPV vaccinations, while 33 countries have also included men in publicly funded vaccinations. The Taiwan Pediatric Medical Association also issued a statement in early 2022, actively responding to the international consensus on eradicating HPV. In order to achieve the goal of early elimination of the disease, it called on parents and teenagers to take immediate action, vaccinate according to medical advice, and actively prevent it.
Pei Zhen, the “doctor’s wife” who serves as the HPV health education ambassador, also called on parents to stand up and advocate early prevention of HPV among teenagers to protect themselves and others from the threat of HPV infection. She also shared the three keys to HPV prevention: safe sex, vaccination according to medical advice, and regular smear examination for women. She hoped to remind teenagers and parents to pay attention to HPV prevention and understand that vaccination can not only reduce the risk of disease, but also reduce the risk of disease in the longer term. Angle to protect the health of the next generation.
Further reading:
